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RV-6 Gear Leg Swap Question(s)

PainterJohn

Well Known Member
Hey Guys,

A -6 in many many many peices, no builders manual or builders logs, plans cobbed together from several other projects came to my shop a few months ago on several differnt trailers. We have completed numerous repairs all over it, painted and reassembled most of the aircraft. The last thing to do now is replace the left (pilot side) gear leg.
I think when the aircraft was built, the legs werent aligned very well. It also looks as though it had a few hard landings as well, I have nothing but intuition and items repaired by me to base that on.
Using lasers and old fashioned tape measures the left gear seems to be toes out 3-4 degrees more than the right side, with weight on it.
I have a new gear leg for it, but it can not be match drilled from the original gear due to the improper alignment at the time it was built.
I have a machine shop that can drill the hole properly, BUT
(HERE IS THE QUESTION FINALLY).....
How can I suspend this thing up and still be able to make my measurements with out weight on the legs? Since there would be no bolt in the left side, obviously it can not sit on the gear.
SECONDARY QUESTION(s):
Would the toe angle change drastically from "weight on" to "weight off" the gear? If not then problem solved..
AND Why are there no jack points on the wings of an RV?
__________________
Painter John
Airborne Kustomz
Giddings Texas
 
Last edited:
If the wings are on, you're set John - the tie-down sockets serve as jack points - search the forums for pictures of how folks make jack points that next into an aircraft jack.

Toe in/out does change from weight on to weight off. I'm sure someone will chime in with the right number - for the -3 we just drilled, the spec was "zero" with the weight off.
 
If the wings are on, you're set John - the tie-down sockets serve as jack points - search the forums for pictures of how folks make jack points that next into an aircraft jack.
Toe in/out does change from weight on to weight off. I'm sure someone will chime in with the right number - for the -3 we just drilled, the spec was "zero" with the weight off.
Toe in/out spec for the -6 is also "zero" with weight off.
 
Excellent! thats what i was thinking as well.. My only concern now is where the tie down points were put in the spars of this 6. I have 2 7s and an 8a in my shop and all three of them have thier tie downs located about 4 inches out board of the fuel tanks. This 6 has its tie downs located about 24 inches outboard of the tanks much closer to the end of the wing.
Am in going to have a situation jacking the aircraft from this point so far out on the wings?
 
Hi John..

..not sure where my jack points were located on my -6 but you can easily jack under each lower motor mount bolt at the firewall with two bottle jacks and support the tail on a padded sawhorse at the next to last bulkhead.

We welded a temporary U-channel piece a couple inches long to the top of the jacks to cradle the motor mount.

Best,
 
thanks Peirre and Mel!
Im going to do the wing lift way so i have room to work around the engine mount/gear leg area... nothing more annoying than having the jacks in the way lol!
 
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